Areas of Excellence

ENERGYTo develop students’ perspectives and improve their understanding of management issues in the energy industry, the curriculum combines fundamental knowledge of the industry within the framework of the global economic environment. A concentration in Energy provides students with the ability to demonstrate cross-functional industry expertise. Fundamentals of the Energy Industry is a required course which covers the details of production, transportation and distribution of different energy commodities, the organization of specific markets, and the characterization of different types of companies across all sectors of the energy complex. Other coursework delves into geopolitics by requiring courses from other Rice University departments, such as Civil and Environmental Engineering, Economics, History and Political Science. Thirty-one percent of the Rice MBA Full-Time graduates from the Class of 2009 were employed in the petroleum and energy fields.

The Energy ClubGiving students a forum to learn more about the different aspects of the energy industry, the Energy Club invites speakers to discuss the respective components of the industry and help prepare students for interviews with energy employers.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Jones School is ranked 5th in the nation in entrepreneurship by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine. The concentration in Entrepreneurship presents students with a context for success. Required courses, The New Enterprise and Enterprise Exchange, provide processes for starting a business and buying and selling a company. Additional courses allow students to select specific entrepreneurial topics in which they might be interested. The school also houses the Rice Alliance, which supports entrepreneurs and early-stage technology ventures in Houston and throughout Texas through education, collaboration and research. Since its inception in 1999, the Rice Alliance has raised more than $500 million in funding and assisted in the launch of over 230 technology companies. Through the Rice University Business Plan Competition—the largest and richest intercollegiate business plan competition in the world—it awarded more than $800,000 in cash and prizes in 2009.

The Entrepreneurship ClubEngaging students in educational and networking opportunities, the goal of this club is to increase student knowledge of entrepreneurship opportunities and to prepare them for their future.

REAL ESTATE

The consolidation and globalization of the real estate industry have created a demand for professional managers who are able to make highly analytical, data-intensive financial decisions and successfully manage large-scale projects. The Jones School meets the challenge by drawing on Houston-based, globally connected real estate professionals who complement the curriculum.

The Real Estate ClubPromoting awareness of the real estate industry to the Rice MBA community is the goal of this student-run organization, which also assists students in pursuing real estate careers.

HEALTH CARE

Dramatic changes in the health care and life sciences industries require physicians to make complex managerial decisions. The Jones School collaborates with renowned Baylor College of Medicine to offer the MBA/MD program, qualifying graduates for leadership roles in medical field.

The Health Care ClubHelping students explore careers in this rapidly growing business segment, the Health Care Club fosters interactions between students and health care and life science companies.